The Degassing Technique of Scalp Acupuncture for Increasing the Myodynamia of Affected Limbs after Cerebral Thrombosis

The scalp acupuncture, performed by means of needling certain scalp acupoints and regions, is regarded as a fairly satisfactory method for treating the sequelae of cerebrovascular accidents (CVA). In order to investigate the positive curative effect of this degassing technique of scalp acupuncture, such research methods as mass sampling, multicenter, randomization, blind control are taken in this project, thus to find a new therapy which is quality-controllable with confirmed curative effect for the motor function recovery of the affected extremities after the cerebral thrombosis. Acupuncture needles are thrust and manipulated 1 cun under the scalp epicranial aponeurosis to increase the myodynamia of the affected side and clinical research showed that this technique is beneficial to the early myodynamia recovery of the affected limbs, hence improving the life quality and reducing the occurrence of complications. Meanwhile it could lessen the burden of the patients’ family as well as the society, so to gain the satisfactory social and economical returns.

Features of the Technique:

1. High safety, no any accident and remarkably intolerable complaints during the treatment.

2. Quick and noticeable effect. Some patients gained 2-3 degree increase of myodynamia of the affected limbs after the first treatment.

3. Regulated manipulating techniques and well-formulated acupoints prescription make it easily graspable, so leading to a good perspective for generalization.

4. Noticeable superiority and social accept in comparison with means and methods of western medicine.

Treatment Method:

1. Instruments: stainless-steel acupuncture needles, branded Jiachen (made by Jiachen Acupuncture Apparatus Company Lt. Wujiang City, Jiangsu Province, P.R. China), of gauge number 30-40# (diameter 0.23mm-0.30mm) and the length of 1-1.5 cun (25mm-40mm).

2. Method of Operation:

（1）Body posture: sitting position or lying supine for those unable to sit.

（2）Locality of acupuncture: the hemisphere of the focus of disease (the opposite side of the affective limbs)

（3）Acupoints selection: according to the “Chinese Standardization of the Operating Zones of Scalp Acupuncture”: middle line of vertex，vertex-temporal anterior oblique line. Middle line of vertex：the median line on the parietal region, from Baihui (DU 20) to Qianding (DU 21). Vertex-temporal anterior oblique line: on the lateral side of the scalp, from Qianding (DU 21) to Xuanli (GB 6).

（4）Skin disinfection: cleaning the operated area with 2% iodine tincture and then cleaning the iodine tincture with 75% alcohol cotton balls, or just cleaning the skin with 75% alcohol cotton balls.

（5）Needle insertion: to use nail-pressing insertion method. To keep the left thumb on the side of the treated line, hold needle with right hand and thrust the needle into skin quickly along the nail, needle tip should reach as deep as the underlayer of the epicranial aponeurosis.

（6）Needling direction: to needle the middle line of vertex, it goes from Qianding (DU 21) to Baihui (DU 20), while to do the vertex-temporal anterior oblique line, the needle is from Qianding (DU 21) to the upper two thirds over the point Xuanli (GB 6) and two needles should be used to make a relay needling.

（7）Manipulating techniques: the needle is thrust into the underlayer of the epicranial aponeurosis in the angle of 15-30 degree with the scalp, and when the needle is inserted into the skin for about 1 cun (25mm), it feels not tense neither loose under the fingers, as if the needle is attracted by the inside tissues. Then the needle is manipulated, i.e. to lift the needle with breaking force swiftly for 3 times (for about 5 seconds), maximally 2.5mm each time, but insert the needle slowly back to the 1-cun depth, the manipulation is repeated for 10 times, all about 5 minutes in total.

（8）Needle retention: the needles are manipulated and retained alternatively for 2 hours, the manipulation is given 5 times in every 30 minutes (about 2.5 minutes). It is required to make exercise of the affected limbs while the needles are manipulated and retained.

（9） Removal of needle: to remove the needle, the skin around the needle hole is pressed by the left thumb, and the needle is lifted slowly to the subcutaneous level with the right hand and then is removed rapidly. In case of bleeding, the needle hole is pressed by a sterilized cotton ball to stop the bleeding.

（10）Course of treatment: the treatment can be given at most once per day but 3 times in one week and 12 sessions are taken as one course of treatment.

Clinical Conclusion:

180 hemiplegic cases of cerebral thrombosis were divided into 2 groups at random: 120 cases in treating group (degassing technique of scalp acupuncture) and 60 in control group (rotating technique of scalp acupuncture), both groups were evaluated for their myodynamia and general functions before and after treatment. In both groups the myodynamia was increased by different levels, in the treating group, 9 cases were basically cured, 95 were markedly effective, 14 were improved, and 2 were unchanged, so the cure-marked-effect rate was 86.67% and the total effective rate was 98.33%; while in control group, nobody was basically cured, 3 were markedly effective, 47 were improved, and 10 were unchanged, so the cure-marked-effect rate was 5% and the total effective rate was 83.33%.

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